U.S. patent number 4,696,386 [Application Number 06/745,257] was granted by the patent office on 1987-09-29 for conveyor system diverter turn assembly.
Invention is credited to Hans J. Lem.
United States Patent |
4,696,386 |
Lem |
September 29, 1987 |
Conveyor system diverter turn assembly
Abstract
In the diverter turn assembly disclosed herein, an array of
wheels are mounted on rocking frames so as to be vertically
shiftable between a first position which the wheels are retracted
below the nominal top surface of the conveyor and a second position
in which they are raised above that level so as to engage articles
being transported by the conveyor system. The wheels are
individually adjustable as to angular orientation and are driven at
respective preselected speeds to permit an article to be diverted
and/or reoriented with respect to the nominal conveyor path.
Inventors: |
Lem; Hans J. (Franklin Lakes,
NJ) |
Family
ID: |
24995919 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/745,257 |
Filed: |
June 14, 1985 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
198/370.09;
198/415; 198/782 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65G
47/54 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65G
47/53 (20060101); B65G 47/54 (20060101); B65G
047/46 () |
Field of
Search: |
;198/372,457,367,370,413-415,782 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2748434 |
|
May 1979 |
|
DE |
|
7903710 |
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Nov 1980 |
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NL |
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Primary Examiner: Valenza; Joseph E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Pahl, Lorusso & Loud
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a conveyor system in which articles are conveyed at a
preselected nominal base height, a diverter assembly
comprising:
a plurality of rotatable shafts extending transversely to the
direction from which articles approach the diverter assembly;
means for rotating at least one of said plurality of rotatable
shafts;
coupling means for causing said shafts to rotate together;
a respective rocker frame journaled for pivotal motion around each
shaft, each frame carrying a plurality of wheels mounted on
respective brackets which are individually adjustable as to angular
orientation with respect to said shaft;
means for affirmatively driving each wheel from the respective
shaft at an individually selectable speed ratio relative to the
rotation of said respective shaft, said individually selectable
speed ratio increasing across said respective shaft; and
means for rocking said frames about their respective shafts to move
the wheels between a first position in which the wheels are below
the nominal base height and a second position in which the wheels
are above the nominal base height so as to engage and control
articles being transported by said conveyor system, said means for
rocking said frames maintaining said wheels in a plane
substantially parallel to the plane of the nominal base height ;
said speed ratio increasing from a smaller speed ratio with which
the wheel which engages and controls the inner portion of articles
being transported by said conveyor system is driven to a larger
speed ratio with which the wheel which engages and controls the
outer portion of articles being transported by said conveyor system
is driven.
2. In a conveyor system in which articles are conveyed at a
preselected nominal base height, a diverter assembly
comprising:
a plurality of rotatable shafts extending transversely to the
direction from which articles approach the diverter assembly;
means for rotating at least one of said plurality of rotatable
shafts;
coupling means for causing said shafts to rotate together;
a respective rocker frame journaled for pivotal motion around each
shaft, each frame carrying a plurality of wheels mounted on
respective brackets which are individually adjustable as to angular
orientation with respect to said approach direction;
on said shaft, collar means for providing, at the portion of said
shaft adjacent each wheel, a corresponding preselectable operating
diameter, said operating diameter increasing across the length of
the shaft;
belt means for affirmatively driving each wheel from the respective
shaft at a speed relative to the rotation of said respective shaft
corresponding to said respective operating diameter; and
means for rocking said frames about their respective shafts to move
the wheels between a first position in which the wheels are below
the nominal base height and a second position in which the wheels
are above the nominal base height so as to engage and control
articles being transported by said conveyor system, said means for
rocking said frames maintaining said wheels in a plane
substantially parallel to the plane of the nominal base height.
3. In a conveyor system in which articles are conveyed at a
preselected nominal base height, a diverter assembly
comprising:
a plurality of rotatable shafts extending transversely to the
direction from which articles approach the diverter assembly, each
of said shafts providing a succession of different effective
operating diameters along the length of the shaft, said operating
diameters increasing across the length of the shaft;
means for rotating at least one of said plurality of rotatable
shafts;
coupling means for causing said shafts to rotate together;
a respective rocker frame journaled for pivotal motion around each
shaft, each frame carrying a plurality of wheels mounted on
respective brackets which are individually adjustable as to angular
orientation with respect to said approach direction;
belt means for affirmatively driving each wheel from the respective
shaft at an individually preselected speed corresponding to the
effective operating diameter of the corresponding portion of the
respective shaft; and
means for rocking said frames about their respective shafts to move
the wheels between a first position in which the wheels are below
the nominal base height and a second position in which the wheels
are above the nominal base height so as to engage and control
articles being transported by said conveyor system, said means for
rocking said frames maintaining said wheels in a plane
substantially parallel to the plane of the nominal base height.
4. In a conveyor system in which articles are conveyed, a diverter
assembly comprising:
a plurality of rotatable shafts extending transversely to the
direction from which articles approach the diverter assembly, each
of said shafts providing a succession of different effective
operating diameters along the length of the shaft, said operating
diameter increasing across the length of the shaft;
means for rotating at least one of said plurality of rotatable
shafts;
coupling means for causing said shafts to rotate together;
adjacent each shaft, a frame carrying a plurality of wheels mounted
on respective brackets which are individually adjustable as to
angular orientation with respect to said approach direction;
and
belt means for affirmatively driving each wheel from the respective
shaft at an individually preselected speed corresponding to the
effective operating diameter of the corresponding portion of the
respective shaft.
5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said different
effective operating diameters are provided by collars in addition
to the basic diameter of the respective shaft.
6. In a conveyor system in which articles are conveyed at a
preselected nominal base height, a diverter assembly
comprising:
a plurality of rotatable shafts extending transversely to the
direction from which articles approach the diverter assembly, each
of said shafts providing a succession of different diameters along
the length of the shaft, said diameters increasing across the
length of the shaft;
means for rotating at least one of said plurality of rotatable
shafts;
coupling means for causing said shafts to rotate together;
a respective rocker frame journaled for pivotal motion around each
shaft;
on each frame, a plurality of brackets, each of which is pivotally
mounted on the frame so as to be individually adjustable as to
angular orientation with respect to said shaft;
on each bracket, a grooved roller;
belt means linking the grooved roller and the corresponding portion
of the respective shaft for driving each roller at an individually
preselectable speed ratio relative to the rotation of said
respective shaft; and
means for rocking said frames about their respective shafts to move
the rollers between a first position in which the rollers are below
the nominal base height and a second position in which the rollers
are above the nominal base height so as to engage and control
articles being transported by said conveyor system, said means for
rocking said frames maintaining said wheels in a plane
substantially parallel to the plane of the nominal base height.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a conveyor system diverter
assembly and more particularly to such an assembly which permits an
article being conveyed to be reoriented as well as diverted from
the nominal conveyor path.
While various diverters and reorienters are known in the prior art,
these systems typically have not been able to perform both
functions in a compact and efficient manner.
Among the several objects of the present invention it may be noted
the provision of a novel conveyor system diverter assembly; the
provision of such an assembly which will reorient an article being
diverted from a conveyor line; the provision of such an assembly
which will reorient an article independently of diverting from the
line; the provision of such an assembly which is highly reliable
and which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part
pointed out herein after.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The diverter assembly of the present invention is suited for use
with a conveyor system in which articles are conveyed at a
preselected nominal base height. A plurality of rocker frames are
journaled for pivotal motion around respective rotatable shafts,
each frame carrying a plurality of wheels mounted on brackets which
are individually adjustable as to angular orientation with respect
to the shaft. Means are provided for driving each wheel from the
respective shaft at an individually selectable speed relative to
the rotation of the respective shaft. Driving means are provided
for rocking the frames about their respective shafts so as to move
the wheels between a first position in which they are below the
nominal base height and a second position in which they are above
the nominal base height and will therefore engage articles being
transported by the conveyor system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a diverter assembly constructed in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view with parts broken away of the diverter
assembly of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an end view of the diverter assembly showing one of the
several rocker frames incorporated therein; and
FIG. 4 is a side view, with parts broken away showing a driving
mechanism for rocking the rocker frames.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts
throughout the several views of the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As indicated previously, the diverter assembly of the present
invention is adapted for use in conjunction with a conveyor system,
particularly a belt type conveyor system. A conveyor system which
is particularly well-suited for use in conjunction with the present
invention is that disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
479,254, filed on Mar. 28, 1983 by Hans Lem, now issued as U.S.
Pat. No. 4,511,030. In that conveyor system, a plurality of belts
running over suitable bearing plates are provided for conveying
articles along a predetermined path, the tops of the belts defining
a nominal base height, i.e., the height at which the bottom of
articles being transported rest during conveying.
With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the diverter system illustrated there
is adapted to be inserted into a run of the conveyor of the type
described in the above-mentioned application and, to this end,
includes a pair of longitudinal plates load bearing 11 and 13 over
which the conveyor belts may run. The nominal positions occupied by
such belts are represented by broken lines in FIG. 3, these
positions being designated by reference characters 15 and 17.
Mounted under each of the plates 11 and 13 are a succession of
bearing blocks 21 in which are journaled three transversely mounted
rotatable shafts 31-33. As is described in greater detail
hereinafter, the shafts 31-33 act both as pivots for wheel carrying
rocker frames and also as driving means for individual wheels
carried on those rocker frames.
The shafts 31 and 32 are linked by a timing belt 28 while the
shafts 32 and 33 are linked by a timing belt 29 so that all these
shafts rotate in synchonism. Typically the shafts will be driven
directly from the conveyor system by means (not shown) appropriate
to the given installation.
Each rocker frame comprises a beam, 35-37 respectively, which
extends parallel to the respective shaft. These beams are
constructed of angle stock in the embodiment illustrated. Each beam
is pivotally mounted on the respective shaft by a pair of short
plates 39-40 which act as bell-crank arms and extend from the beam
to bearings 41 journaled on the respective shaft. Each pair of arms
is joined by a plate 43 which carries roller cam follower 45 which
is employed in controlling the rocking motion of the rocker frame
as described in greater detail hereinafter.
Each of the rocker frames carries three wheels 51-53 which are
mounted on the respect beam 35-37 by means of respective angle
brackets 55. The wheels are preferably constructed of a tough
resilient wear resistant materials such as polyurethane and are
journaled on axles which extend from the respective angle brackets.
The individual brackets 55 are mounted to the beam by means of
single bolts, as indicated in reference character 57, which serve
as lockable pivot points so that each wheel may be inclined with
respect to the direction of conveyor flow at an angle which is
individually preselectable. Preferably two or more holes 78 are
provided in the beam for each bracket so that the wheels may be
inclined for either direction, thus permitting diversion either to
the right or to the left.
As may be seen, each of the wheels 51-53 is grooved to receive a
belt, designated by reference character 56, which also passes
around the respective rotatable shaft 31-33. Accordingly, rotation
of the shaft will drive the wheel. However, to permit the wheels to
be driven at different individually selectable speeds, each shaft
is provided with collers to provide differing operative diameters
to the successive belts. These collars are indicated by reference
characters 58 and 59 in FIG. 1. From the point of view of the
direction of flow of the conveyor, it will thus be seen that, in
the particular embodiment illustrated, the right hand wheels are
driven the fastest and the left hand wheels are driven the slowest.
By suitable selection of the collar diameters, the speed
differentials can be changed both left to right and front to back
to achieve the desired movement of the article being
transported.
As indicated previously, each rocker frame can be moved between a
first position in which the wheels are below the nominal base
height of the conveyor belts and a second position in which the
wheels are above the nominal base height so as to engage articles
being transported by the conveyor. A typical mechanism for driving
this rocking motion is seen best in FIG. 4. As described
previously, each of the rocker assemblies carries a roller cam
follower 45 mounted between the bell crank arms 39 and 40 which
pivotally mount the transverse beams 35-37. A sliding cam assembly
63 provides three ramp surfaces 65 which co-act with the followers
45 to selectively raise the wheel. The cam assembly 63 is slidable
mounted in a guide (not shown) supported under the bearing blocks
21. A clutch and brake assembly 68 is provided for driving the
sliding cam 63 through an eccentric 71 and a connecting rod 73. It
should be understood that other means for raising and lowering the
wheels, e.g., air linear actuators or electric solenoids, might
also be used.
The most typical use for the apparatus of the present invention
will be to both divert and reorient an article traveling down the
conveyor and the system shown in FIG. 1 is set up for this sort of
operation. If diversion and reorientation are not desired, the
wheels are retracted and an article traveling on the belts 15 and
17 will merely continue straight on its path. If, however, the
wheels are raised, an article traveling onto the assembly will be
engaged by the wheels. Not only will the article be lifted off the
belts and moved to the left but, because of the speed differential
between the left and right hand wheels, the article will be
reoriented, that is rotated around a vertical axis. As is
understood by those skilled in the art this is typically desirable
to properly orient the article, e.g., a box, that is to be picked
up by a next conveyor stage. Since the angular orientation of each
of the nine wheels may be independently set, i.e., by suitably
positioning the angle bracket on which that wheel is mounted, great
flexibility is provided as to the angle and the extent of
diversion. Further, since the speed differential from side to side
as well as front to back can be preselected merely by changing the
collars 58-59, it can be seen that flexibility is also provided in
the degree of reorientation applied to an article.
It should also be understood that the apparatus of the present
invention may provide reorientation without diversion if this is
useful in the context of the particular article handling system
within which the apparatus of the present invention is
incorporated. Reorientation without diversion is accomplished
merely by orienting the wheels 51-53 so that they rotate in a plane
parallel to the direction of the belts while retaining the speed
differential from side to side. By this adjustment of the system,
an article encountering the raised wheels will be lifted and
reoriented because of the speed differential from side to side, but
will continue straight ahead to be picked up an carried on by the
same set of conveyor belts.
While the system illustrated employs a three-by-three array of
rollers, it should be understood that other arrays, including
non-square arrays might also be arranged in accordance with the
present invention. For example, in a system for larger articles
employing three conveyor belts, it might be useful to employ four
rollers on each of five frames in order to provide a longer time
for reorientation as the article progresses.
In view of the foregoing, it may be seen that several objects of
the present invention are achieved and other advantageous results
have been attained.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions without
departing from the scope of the invention, it should be understood
that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the
accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not
in a limiting sense.
* * * * *